Portrait of a Boy, in Profile
Original title: Portrait of a Boy, in Profile
kurzbeschreibung
Rembrandt made this etching of a child in profile in 1641. It shows a boy in a richly decorated garment with wavy hair. Two printed states of the plate exist; this is the second.
Description
A young girl appears in side profile, wearing a dress whose collar and shoulder area carry decorative patterns. Her wavy hair falls over her shoulder. Lines of varying thickness build a dense texture, with light coming from the right to draw out shadows and contours. The background stays spare.
Context
The print was made in Amsterdam in 1641, during a period of high productivity for the artist. It belongs among numerous studies of faces and figures made as exercises or for collectors. Who the sitter was cannot be determined with certainty—a circumstance shared by many of Rembrandt's portrait studies.
Impact
Delicately placed lines and the close view of the child shape the impression of the print. The interplay of light and shadow creates a quiet, collected mood.
Technique
Executed as an etching, as the fine, parallel lines make clear. Trimmed to 8.8 × 6.6 cm, the sheet belongs to the second printed state.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)